Saving Energy with Crawl Space Encapsulation
Some of the benefits of the CleanSpace crawl space encapsulation system can be seen immediately after installation. Your once nasty and mold infested crawl space is now clean, dry, mold and pest free.
Some can even be felt soon afterwards: cleaner and odor free air indoors, more comfortable breathing with chronic allergy symptoms subsiding. No more cold drafts from the floor during the winter, less humidity in the summer.
Yet, one of the most significant benefits of crawl space encapsulation is virtually invisible and can be felt only on your pocket. Crawl space encapsulation makes your whole house much more energy efficient. How much? According to several ground-breaking studies, this process makes homes an average of 18% more energy efficient!
According to Advanced Energy, energy losses through a vented, dirt crawl space can be so significant, you might as well forfeit any other energy efficient improvement (insulation, windows and doors replacements, HVAC upgrades and renewable energy conversions) until you get the crawl space fixed. If you have ducts running through the crawl, the energy losses can be as high as 50%!
On the other hand, energy savings from crawl space encapsulation are so significant, that is now recommended by many green building organizations and the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Initiative, as best practice for treating crawl spaces.
How exactly does encapsulation work to cut energy costs?
The Stack Effect
It has to do with the way the air moves inside buildings. When the air in the conditioned area is heated, it rises and escapes through any openings in the upper parts of the building, usually the attic. When that happens, negative pressure builds up in the lower parts of the building causing air from the outside to be sucked in through any openings and gaps your basement or crawl space. All the while, the air that you are paying to cool and heat is leaking out and your HVAC unit is working more than it should to keep up with heating and cooling all that outside air that is coming in. Get the picture?
Crawl space encapsulation will completely air seal your foundation, eliminating some of that negative pressure, keeping outside air from leaking in through the crawl, and helping keep most of that conditioned air where it belongs: into the living areas of your home.
Crawl space encapsulation is an affordable upgrade that pays in many ways: it protects your home from structural decay, your family's health from mold exposure and helps you save big in energy bills.
Stop wasting money and energy through the crawl space. Contact us for a Free, No Obligation Estimate!
